Charge pump and memory device including the same

ABSTRACT

A charge pump includes: a charging unit including a first n-type transistor connected between an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage and a first node, a second n-type transistor connected between the input terminal and a second node, a first gate control element configured to control the first n-type transistor based on a first clock signal and a second gate control element configured to control the second n-type transistor based on a second clock signal having a phase opposite to the first clock signal; a first pumping capacitor including one end connected to the first node and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal; a second pumping capacitor including one end connected to the second node and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal; and an output unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0136809, filed on Nov. 8, 2018, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

The inventive concept relates to a charge pump, and, more particularly, to a charge pump and a memory device including the charge pump.

A charge pump has a type of a direct current (DC)-DC converter that generates a voltage that is either higher than an input voltage or lower than a ground voltage. The charge pump may use capacitors as energy storage elements and may include a plurality of switches driven by a clock signal.

A charge pump may be used in circuits in various applications and functions, such as a memory device. For example, a charge pump may generate a voltage higher than a supply voltage in a positive charge pump mode or a voltage lower than the ground voltage in a negative charge pump mode to generate a write voltage or a read voltage of a memory device.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the inventive concept provide a charge pump including a charging unit, which includes n-type transistors.

According to an aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a charge pump including: a charging unit including a first n-type transistor connected between an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage and a first node, a second n-type transistor connected between the input terminal and a second node, a first gate control element configured to control the first n-type transistor based on a first clock signal and a second gate control element configured to control the second n-type transistor based on a second clock signal having a phase opposite to the first clock signal; a first pumping capacitor including one end connected to the first node and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal; a second pumping capacitor including one end connected to the second node and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal; and an output unit between the charging unit and an output terminal, the output unit configured to output a first voltage at the first node or a second voltage at second node to the output terminal.

According to another aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a charge pump including: a first pumping capacitor including one end connected to a first node and an other end configured to receive a first clock signal; a second pumping capacitor including one end connected to a second node and an other end configured to receive a second clock signal that is complementary with the first clock signal; a charging unit including a first n-type transistor configured to charge the first pumping capacitor with an input voltage based on the first clock signal, and a second n-type transistor configured to charge the second pumping capacitor with the input voltage based on the second clock signal; and an output unit connected to the charging unit via the first node and the second node, the output unit configured to alternately output node voltages of the first node and the second node to an output terminal in response to the first clock signal and the second clock signal.

According to another aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a memory device including: a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells configured to store data; a control logic configured to output a control signal that controls a program operation of programming data in the memory cell array and a read operation of reading data from the memory cell array; and a voltage generator configured to generate operation voltages used for the program operation and the read operation in response to the control signal, wherein the voltage generator includes: a charging unit including a first n-type transistor connected between an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage and a first node, a second n-type transistor connected between the input terminal and a second node, a first gate control element configured to control the first n-type transistor based on a first clock signal, and a second gate control element configured to control the second n-type transistor based on a second clock signal having a phase opposite to the first clock signal; a first pumping capacitor including one end connected to the first node and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal; a second pumping capacitor including one end connected to the second node and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal; and an output unit connected between the charging unit and an output terminal, the output unit configured to output a first voltage at the first node or a second voltage at the second node to the output terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the inventive concept will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

FIG. 2 is a detailed circuit diagram of a charging unit according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an n-type transistor according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

FIGS. 4A through 4C illustrate detailed circuit diagrams of output units according to some embodiments of the inventive concept, respectively;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate circuit diagrams for describing operations of a charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept, respectively;

FIG. 6 illustrates timing diagrams for respective voltages of a charge pump circuit according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram for describing generation of an output voltage through a multiple of charge pumps according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of a memory device including a charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept;

FIG. 9A illustrates a detailed circuit diagram of a charge pump according to some example embodiments of the inventive concept, and FIG. 9B illustrates a detailed circuit diagram of a region A in FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10 illustrates timing diagrams of respective voltages for describing operations of charge recycle circuits in FIGS. 9A and 9B according to some embodiments of the inventive concept; and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example in which memory devices including a charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept are included in a solid state drive (SSD) system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The inventive concept will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. Like reference numerals may refer to like elements throughout this description. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It is noted that aspects described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated in different embodiments although not specifically described relative thereto. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiments can be combined in any way and/or combination.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a charge pump 10 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 1, the charge pump 10 may receive an input voltage VIN, a first clock signal CLK1, and a second clock signal CLK2, and, based thereon, may generate an output voltage VOUT. For example, the charge pump 10 may operate in one of a positive charge pump mode in which the output voltage VOUT is generated by leveling up the input voltage VIN by a risen amount of the first clock signal CLK1 (or the second clock signal CLK2), and a negative charge pump mode in which the output voltage VOUT is generated by leveling down the input voltage VIN by a decrease of the first clock signal CLK1 (or the second clock signal CLK2).

The charge pump 10 may include a charging unit 100, an output unit 200, a first pumping capacitor CP1, and a second pumping capacitor CP2. The charging unit 100 and the output unit 200 may be interconnected via a first node N1 and a second node N2. One end of the first pumping capacitor CP1 may be connected to the first node N1, and the first clock signal CLK1 may be applied to the other end thereof. In addition, one end of the second pumping capacitor CP2 may be connected to the second node N2 and the second clock signal CLK2 may be applied to the other end thereof.

The charging unit 100 may receive the input voltage VIN and may alternately charge the first pumping capacitor CP1 and the second pumping capacitor CP2. In an example embodiment, the charging unit 100 may include a first n-type transistor (or NMOS), which is turned on/turn off based on the first clock signal CLK1 and is arranged between an input terminal configured to receive the input voltage VIN and the first node N1. In addition, the charging unit 100 may include a second n-type transistor which is turned on/turned off based on the second clock signal CLK2 and is arranged between the input terminal and the second node N2. For example, the first clock signal CLK1 and the second clock signal CLK2 may be complementary.

The output unit 200 may be connected to the charging unit 100 via the first and second nodes N1 and N2 and may alternately output node voltages of the first and second nodes N1 and N2 to an output terminal in response to the first clock signal CLK1 and the second clock signal CLK2. In an example embodiment, the output unit 200 may include a third n-type transistor, which is turned on/turned off based on the second clock signal CLK2 and is arranged between the first node N1 and the output terminal. In addition, the output unit 200 may include a fourth n-type transistor which is turned on/turned off based on the first clock signal CLK1 and is arranged between the second node N2 and the output terminal.

For example, when the charge pump 10 operates in the negative charge pump mode, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, the input voltage VIN may be applied, and as the first clock signal CLK1 is deactivated, a voltage corresponding to a difference between the input voltage VIN and the first clock signal CLK1 may be applied to the first node N1. When the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 are complementary, the output unit 200 may output to the output terminal the difference between the input voltage VIN and the first clock signal CLK1 that are applied to the first node N1.

According to an example embodiment, a bulk of each of the first and second n-type transistors provided in the charging unit 100 may be formed in a portion of a deep-n well formed on a p-type semiconductor substrate. For example, when the charge pump 10 operates in the negative charge pump mode, a voltage greater than or equal to a voltage applied to the p-type semiconductor substrate may be applied to the deep-n well. Accordingly, the charge pump 10 according to some embodiments may reduce a body effect that occurs in the negative charge pump mode. A detailed description thereof is provided below.

FIG. 2 is a detailed circuit diagram of a charging unit according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. FIG. 2 may be, for example, a circuit diagram for the charging unit 100 in FIG. 1 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 2, the charging unit 100 may include a first n-type transistor M1, a second N-type transistor M2, a first bulk control element 110, a second bulk control element 120, a first gate control element 130, and a second gate control element 140. In addition, the charging unit 100 may further include a first boosting capacitor C1 and a second boosting capacitor C2.

One end ND1 of the first boosting capacitor C1 may be connected to the first gate control element 130, and the first clock signal CLK1 may be applied to the other end of the first boosting capacitor C1. In addition, one end ND2 of the second boosting capacitor C2 may be connected to the second gate control element 140, and the second clock signal CLK2 may be applied to the other end of the second boosting capacitor C2.

The input voltage VIN may be applied to one end of the first n-type transistor M1 and the other end of the first n-type transistor M1 may be connected to the first node N1. In addition, the first n-type transistor M1 may be connected to the first bulk control element 110 via one end and the other end (a source and a drain) of the first n-type transistor M1, and a gate of the first n-type transistor M1 may be connected to the first gate control element 130.

The first bulk control element 110 may include cross-coupled bulk control transistors (MK1 and MQ1) between the one end and the other end (the source and the drain) of the first n-type transistor M1. For example, the bulk control transistors (MK1 and MQ1) may be n-type transistors having bulks thereof connected to a bulk DN1 of the first n-type transistor M1. The first bulk control element 110 may control a voltage applied to each of the drain, the source, and the bulk of the first n-type transistor M1 by configuring feedback with the source, the drain, and the bulk of the first n-type transistor M1. For example, the first bulk control element 110 may control a bulk voltage of the first n-type transistor M1 to be maintained below a drain voltage and a source voltage. In other words, the first bulk control element 110 may control a voltage applied to the bulk DN1 to be maintained at the lowest level among the voltages applied to respective nodes of the first n-type transistor M1.

The first gate control element 130 may include the gate and the drain thereof connected to the one end ND1 of the first boosting capacitor C1 and may include the first control transistor MD1 to which the source thereof is connected. The first control transistor MD1 having a bulk thereof connected to the bulk DN1 of the first n-type transistor M1 may be an n-type transistor.

In an example embodiment, the first control transistor MD1 may have a width/length (W/L) ratio that is approximately the same as the W/L ratio of the first n-type transistor M1. For example, the first control transistor MD1 and the first n-type transistor M1 may have approximately the same size. Because the first control transistor MD1 and the first n-type transistor M1 have the same W/L ratio, the first control transistor MD1 and the first n-type transistor M1 may be transistors having the same threshold voltage.

For example, in response to activation of the first clock signal CLK1, the first n-type transistor M1 and the first control transistor MD1 may be turned on. A gate voltage of the first n-type transistor M1 may vary according to the first clock signal CLK1, and, accordingly, the first n-type transistor M1 may operate as a switch. Thus, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, the input voltage VIN may be applied to the first node N1.

For example, in response to deactivation of the first clock signal CLK1, the first n-type transistor M1 and the first control transistor MD1 may be turned off. As the first n-type transistor M1 operating as a switch is turned off, the first node N1 may be separated from the input terminal. For example, the voltage of the first node N1 and a gate voltage of the first control transistor MD1 may be different from each other by the threshold voltage of the first control transistor MD1.

The input voltage VIN may be applied to one end of the second n-type transistor M2 and the other end thereof may be connected to the second node N2. In addition, the second n-type transistor M2 may be connected to the second bulk control element 120 via the one end and the other end (a source and a drain) of the second n-type transistor M2, and a gate of the second n-type transistor M2 may be connected to the second gate control element 140.

The second bulk control element 120 may include cross-coupled bulk control transistors (MK2 and MQ2) between one end and the other end (the source and the drain) of the second n-type transistor M2. For example, the bulk control transistors (MK2 and MQ2) having a bulk thereof connected to the bulk DN2 of the second n-type transistor M2 may be n-type transistors. The second bulk control element 120 may control a voltage applied to each of the drain, the source, and the bulk of the second n-type transistor M2 by configuring feedback with the source, the drain, and the bulk of the second n-type transistor M2. For example, the second bulk control element 120 may control a bulk voltage of the second n-type transistor M2 to be maintained below the drain and source voltages.

The second gate control element 140 may include a gate and a drain thereof connected to one end ND2 of the second boosting capacitor C2, and may include a second control transistor MD2 having a source thereof connected to the second node N2. The second control transistor MD2 having a bulk thereof connected to the bulk DN2 of the second n-type transistor M2 may be an n-type transistor.

In an example embodiment, the second control transistor MD2 may have a width/length (W/L) ratio that is approximately the same as the W/L ratio of the second n-type transistor M2. For example, the second control transistor MD2 and the second n-type transistor M2 may have approximately the same size. Because the second control transistor MD2 and the second n-type transistor M2 have the same W/L ratio, the second control transistor MD2 and the second n-type transistor M2 may be transistors having the same threshold voltage.

For example, in response to activation of the second clock signal CLK2, the second n-type transistor M2 and the second control transistor MD2 may be turned on. The gate voltage of the second n-type transistor M2 may vary according to the second clock signal CLK2, and, accordingly, the second n-type transistor M2 may operate as a switch. Thus, as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, the input voltage VIN may be applied to the second node N2.

For example, in response to deactivation of the second clock signal CLK2, the second n-type transistor M2 and the second control transistor MD2 may be turned off. As the second n-type transistor M2 operating as a switch is turned off, the second node N1 may be separated from the input terminal. For example, the voltage of the second node N2 and the gate voltage of the second control transistor MD2 may be different from each other by the threshold voltage of the second control transistor MD2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an n-type transistor according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. For example, FIG. 3 may be a cross-sectional view of at least one of the first n-type transistor M1 and the second n-type transistor M2 in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 3, a deep n-type well DNW may be formed on a p-type semiconductor substrate P_SUB, and a p-type well PW may be formed in a portion of the deep n-type well DNW. For example, the first and second bulks DN1 and DN2 of the first and second n-type transistors M1 and M2, respectively, may be implemented as the p-type well PW. The input voltage VIN, the gate voltage VND1, and the first node voltage VN1 may be applied to the source S, the gate G, and the drain D formed in the p-type well PW, respectively, and a bulk voltage VDN1 may be applied to the p-type well PW. In addition, the deep n-type well voltage VDNW may be applied to the deep n-type well DNW, and a ground voltage may be applied to the p-type semiconductor substrate P_SUB.

In an example embodiment, during the negative charge pump operation, the deep n-type well voltage VDNW may be greater than or equal to the ground voltage. In addition, during the negative charge pump operation, the deep n-type well voltage VDNW may be greater than or equal to the bulk voltage VDN1.

For example, during the negative charge pump operation, a negative voltage may be applied to the p-type well PW as the bulk voltage VDN1, and a positive voltage of the deep n-type well voltage VDNW may be applied to the deep n-type well DNW. Thus, a reverse bias may occur in a second parasitic diode PR D2 formed between the p-type well PW and the deep p-type well DNW. In addition, because the ground voltage is applied to the p-type semiconductor substrate P_SUB, a reverse bias may also occur in a first parasitic diode PR D1 formed between the p-type semiconductor substrate P_SUB and the deep n-type well DNW. Thus, the first and second n-type transistors M1 and M2, according to some example embodiments of the inventive concept, may reduce the body effect during the negative charge pump operation and also improve the efficiency of the charge pump operation.

FIGS. 4A through 4C illustrate detailed circuit diagrams of output units 200, 200 a, and 200 b according to some embodiments of the inventive concept, respectively. Each of FIGS. 4A through 4C may be, for example, a circuit diagram for the output unit 200 in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the output unit 200 may include a third N-type transistor M3, a fourth n-type transistor M4, a third bulk control element 210, a fourth bulk control element 220, and a gate control element 230. In addition, the output unit 200 may further include a third boosting capacitor C3 and a fourth boosting capacitor C4. The third and fourth bulk control elements 210 and 220 may have similar structures to those of the first and second bulk control elements 110 and 120 described with reference to FIG. 2, respectively, and, thus, a duplicate description thereof is omitted.

One end of the third n-type transistor M3 may be connected to the first node N1, and the other one thereof may be connected to the output terminal. In addition, the third n-type transistor M3 may be connected to the third bulk control element 210 via the one end and the other end (a source and a drain) of the third n-type transistor M3, and a gate of the third n-type transistor M3 may be connected to the gate control element 230.

One end of the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be connected to the second node N2, and the other end thereof may be connected to the output terminal. In addition, the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be connected to the fourth bulk control element 220 via the one end and the other end (a source and a drain) of the fourth n-type transistor M4, and a gate of the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be connected to the gate control element 230.

The gate control element 230 may include a third control transistor MD3 and a fourth control transistor MD4, which are cross-coupled to each other. One end of the third control transistor MD3 may be connected to one end ND3 of the third boosting capacitor C3, and the other end of the third control transistor MD3 may be connected to the output terminal. In addition, a bulk of the third control transistor MD3 may be connected to a bulk DN3 of the third n-type transistor M3. In addition, a gate of the third control transistor MD3 may be connected to one end ND4 of the fourth boosting capacitor C4.

One end of the fourth control transistor MD4 may be connected to the one terminal ND4 of the fourth boosting capacitor C4, and the other terminal of the fourth control transistor MD4 may be connected to the output terminal. In addition, a bulk of the fourth control transistor MD4 may be connected to a bulk DN4 of the fourth n-type transistor M4. In addition, a gate of the fourth control transistor MD4 may be connected to the one terminal ND3 of the third boosting capacitor C3.

In the example embodiment, the third and fourth control transistors MD3 and MD4 may have approximately the same W/L ratio as the third and fourth n-type transistors M3 and M4, respectively. For example, the third and fourth control transistors MD3 and MD4 may have approximately the same size as the third and fourth n-type transistors M3 and M4, respectively. Because the third control transistor MD3 and the third n-type transistor M3 have the same W/L ratio, the fourth control transistor MD4 and the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be transistors having the same threshold voltage.

In an example embodiment, the first clock signal CLK1 and the second clock signal CLK2 may be complementary. For example, in response to the activation of the first clock signal CLK1 (or the deactivation of the second clock signal CLK2), the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be turned on and the third n-type transistor M3 may be turned off. The fourth n-type transistor M4 may have a gate voltage that varies according to the activated first clock signal CLK1, and, thus, may operate as a turned-on switch. Thus, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, the voltage applied to the second node N2 may be output via the output terminal. In addition, the third N-type transistor M3 may have a gate voltage that varies according to the deactivated second clock signal CLK2, and, accordingly, may, as a turned-off switch, separate the first node N1 and the output terminal.

For example, in response to the activation of the second clock signal CLK2 (or the deactivation of the first clock signal CLK1), the third n-type transistor M3 may be turned on and the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be turned off. The third n-type transistor M3 may have a gate voltage that varies according to the activated second clock signal CLK2, and accordingly, may operate as a turned-on switch. Thus, as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, the voltage applied to the first node N1 may be output via the output terminal VOUT. In addition, the fourth n-type transistor M4 may have a gate voltage that varies according to the deactivated first clock signal CLK1, and accordingly, may operate as a turned-off switch, separate the second node N2 and the output terminal.

The gate control element 230 may, by configuring feedback with the gates of the third and fourth n-type transistors M3 and M4, control a turned-on/turned-off state of each n-type transistor to be maintained when each of the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 are activated. For example, when the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, the gate control element 230 may control the turned-on state of the fourth n-type transistor M4 and the turned-off state of the third n-type transistor M3 to be maintained. In addition, when the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, the gate control element 230 may control the turned-on state of the third n-type transistor M3 and the turned-off state of the fourth n-type transistor M4 to be maintained.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the output unit 200 a may further include a first diode DD1 and a second diode DD2. In an example embodiment, one end of the first diode DD1 may be connected to a second node N2 a, and the other end of the first diode DD1 may be connected to a gate of a third n-type transistor M3 a. In addition, one end of the second diode DD2 may be connected to a first node N1 a, and the other end of the second diode DD2 may be connected to a gate of a fourth n-type transistor M4 a.

Each of the first diode DD1 and the second diode DD2 may control a more complete switching of gate voltages of the third and fourth n-type transistors M3 a and M4 a. For example, when a second clock signal CLK2 a changes from a deactivated state to an activated state, a rapid switching of the third n-type transistor M3 a may be performed according to a connection of the first diode DD1. In addition, when a first clock signal CLK1 a changes from a deactivated state to an activated state, a rapid switching of the fourth n-type transistor M4 a may be performed according to a connection of the second diode DD2.

Referring to FIG. 4C, the output unit 200 b may include a third n-type transistor M3 b, a fourth n-type transistor M4 b, a third gate control transistor MN3 b, and a fourth gate control transistor MN4 b. The third and fourth n-type transistors M3 b and M4 b may be cross-coupled between a first node N1 b, a second node N2 b, and an output terminal. In other words, the third n-type transistor M3 b may be connected between the first node N1 b and the output terminal, and a gate thereof may be connected to the second node N2 b. In addition, the fourth n-type transistor M4 b may be connected between the second node N2 b and the output terminal, and a gate thereof may be connected to the first node N1 b.

A gate of the third gate control transistor MN3 b may be connected to a gate of the third n-type transistor M3 b, one end and a bulk of the third gate control transistor MN3 b may be connected to a bulk DN3 b of the third n-type transistor M3 b while the other end of the third gate control transistor MN3 b is connected to the output terminal. In addition, the gate of the fourth gate control transistor MN4 b may be connected to the gate of the fourth n-type transistor M4 b, one end and a bulk of the fourth gate control transistor MN4 b may be connected to a bulk DN4 b of the fourth n-type transistor M4 b while the other end of the fourth gate control transistor MN4 b is connected to the output terminal.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate circuit diagrams for describing operations of a charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept, respectively. In an example embodiment, the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 are complementary, FIG. 5A illustrates a circuit diagram as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated. In addition, FIG. 5B illustrates a circuit diagram as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated. For convenience of explanation, the configurations of the first and second bulk control elements (110 and 120 in FIG. 2, and 210 and 220 in FIG. 4A) provided in the charging unit 100 and the output unit 200 are omitted, but a detailed description thereof is given.

Referring to FIG. 5A, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, the first n-type transistor M1 and the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be turned on, and the second n-type transistor M2 and the third n-type transistor M3 may be turned off. In other words, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, a path connecting the input terminal to the first node N1 may be formed. Further, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, a path connecting the second node N2 and the output terminal may be formed. Accordingly, the first pumping capacitor CP1 may be charged as the input voltage VIN is applied, and a voltage that has been charged in the second pumping capacitor CP2 may be discharged as the output voltage VOUT.

For example, in the negative charge pump operation, when the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 vary between about 0 and a power supply voltage Vsup and the input voltage VIN is about 0 V, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated (for example, to the power supply voltage Vsup), the first pumping capacitor CP1 may be charged to a negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup. As the third n-type transistor M3 is turned off based on the second clock signal CLK2, the first node N1 and the output terminal may be separated.

As the second clock signal CLK2 is deactivated, a node voltage of the second node N2 connected to the second pumping capacitor CP2, which has been charged to the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup, may transition to the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup. As the fourth n-type transistor M4 is turned on based on the first clock signal CLK1, the output voltage VOUT may be generated as the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup.

Referring to FIG. 5B, as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, the second n-type transistor M2 and the third n-type transistor M3 may be turned on, and the first n-type transistor M1 and the fourth n-type transistor M4 may be turned off. In other words, as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, a path connecting the input terminal to the second node N2 may be formed. In addition, as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, a path connecting the first node N1 to the output terminal may be formed. Accordingly, the second pumping capacitor CP2 may be charged as the input voltage YIN is applied, and the voltage charged in the first pumping capacitor CP1 may be discharged as the output voltage VOUT.

For example, in the negative charge pump operation, as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, the second pumping capacitor CP2 may be charged to the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup. As the fourth n-type transistor M4 is turned off based on the first clock signal CLK1, the second node N2 and the output terminal may be separated.

As the first clock signal CLK1 is deactivated, the node voltage of the first node N1 connected to the first pumping capacitor CP1, which has been charged to the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup, may be transition to the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup. As the third n-type transistor M3 is turned on based on the second clock signal CLK2, the output voltage VOUT may be generated as the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup that is the node voltage of the first node N1.

FIG. 6 illustrates timing diagrams for respective voltages of a charge pump circuit according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. Hereinafter, FIG. 6 is described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B.

Referring to FIG. 6, the first clock signal CLK1 and the second clock signal CLK2 may be complementary. At a time of deactivation, the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 may be different by the power supply voltage Vsup from the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 at a time of activation, respectively. In an example embodiment, each of the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 may be about 0 V at the time of deactivation, and each of the first and second clock signals CLK1 and CLK2 may be the power supply voltage Vsup at the time of activation. For example, the power supply voltage Vsup may be a voltage output from a power supply provided outside the charge pump 10, or may be a voltage output from a power supply provided inside the charge pump 10. In other words, the power supply voltage Vsup may be referred to as a voltage drain drain (VDD).

As the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, the first n-type transistor M1 may be turned on, and, thus, the voltage of the first node N1 may rise to the input voltage VIN. In addition, as the first clock signal CLK1 is deactivated, the first n-type transistor M1 may be turned off, and, thus, the voltage of the first node N1 may fall to a sum of the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup and the input voltage VIN. In other words, the voltage of the first node N1 when the first clock signal CLK1 is activated and the voltage of the first node N1 when the first clock signal CLK1 is deactivated may be different from each other by the power supply voltage Vsup.

In addition, as the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, the voltage at the one end ND1 of the first boosting capacitor C1 may rise to a sum of the input voltage VIN and a threshold voltage Vth_MD1 of the first control transistor MD1. In other words, the one end ND1 of the first boosting capacitor C1 may rise/fall by a gate-source voltage Vgs_M1 of the first n-type transistor M1 according to a rising/falling of the first clock signal CLK1 based on the input voltage VIN.

As the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, the second n-type transistor M2 may be turned on, and, thus, the voltage of the second node N2 may rise to the input voltage YIN. In addition, as the second clock signal CLK2 is deactivated, the second n-type transistor M2 may be turned off, and, thus, the voltage of the second node N2 may decrease to a sum of the negative power supply voltage −Vsup and the input voltage VIN. In other words, the voltage of the second node N2 when the second clock signal CLK2 is activated and the voltage of the second node N2 when the second clock signal CLK2 is deactivated may be different from each other by the power supply voltage Vsup.

In addition, as the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, the voltage at the one end ND2 of the second boosting capacitor C2 may rise to a sum of the input voltage VIN and a threshold voltage Vth_MD2 of the second control transistor MD2. In other words, the one end ND2 of the second boosting capacitor C2 may rise/fall by a gate-source voltage Vgs_M2 of the second n-type transistor M2 according to the rising/falling of the second clock signal CLK2 based on the input voltage YIN.

According to the activation/deactivation of the first clock signal CLK1 (or, the deactivation/activation of the second clock signal CLK2), the one end ND3 of the third boosting capacitor C3 and the one end ND4 of the fourth boosting capacitor C4 may complementarily vary. As the first clock signal CLK1 rises (the second clock signal CLK2 falls), the voltage at the one end ND3 of the third boosting capacitor C3 may fall from the input voltage VIN to the sum of the input voltage VIN and the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup, and the one end ND4 of the fourth boosting capacitor C4 may rise from the sum of the input voltage VIN and the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup to the input voltage YIN. In addition, as the first clock signal CLK1 falls (or the second clock signal CLK2 rises), the voltage of the one end ND3 of the third boosting capacitor C3 may rise from the sum of the input voltage VIN and the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup to the input voltage VIN, and the voltage of the one end ND4 of the fourth boosting capacitor C4 may fall from the input voltage VIN to the sum of the input voltage VIN and the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup. According to the above operation, the charge pump 10 may generate the sum of the input voltage VIN and the negative value of the power supply voltage −Vsup as the output voltage VOUT.

When the first clock signal CLK1 is activated (or the second clock signal CLK2 is deactivated), the difference between the voltage VN1 of the first node N1 and the output voltage VOUT may be a value of the power supply voltage Vsup (that is, VN1−VOUT=Vsup). In other words, when the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, in the third n-type transistor M3 connected between the first node N1 and the output terminal, a voltage drop of the power supply voltage Vsup may occur. Although not illustrated, when the first clock signal CLK1 is activated, in the second n-type transistor M2 connected between the input terminal and the second node N2, a voltage drop of the power supply voltage Vsup may also occur.

When the second clock signal CLK2 is activated (or the first clock signal CLK1 is deactivated), the difference between the input voltage VIN and the voltage VN1 of the first node N1 may be the value of the power supply voltage Vsup (that is, VIN−VN1=Vsup). In other words, when the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, in the first n-type transistor M1 connected between the input terminal and the first node N1, the voltage drop of the power supply voltage Vsup may occur. Although not illustrated, when the second clock signal CLK2 is activated, in the fourth n-type transistor M4 connected between the second node N2 and the output terminal, the voltage drop of the power supply voltage Vsup may also occur.

In a charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept, when a clock signal activated by a power supply voltage Vsup, which is a power voltage, is applied, only a voltage that is equal to or less than the power supply voltage Vsup may be applied to each of transistors (for example, M1 through M4). Accordingly, the charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept may sufficiently realize a charge pump operation by using only a low voltage transistor without using a separate high voltage transistor as a switch. As a result, a charge pump circuit may be implemented even with a small area, and thus the degree of integration may be improved.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram that illustrates generation of an output voltage VOUT_n (n is a positive integer) through first through nth charge pumps 10-1 through 10-n according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, n charge pumps (10-1 through 10-n) may be sequentially operated responsive to the input voltage VIN, and finally the output voltage VOUT_n may be generated. In an example embodiment, each of the first through nth charge pumps 10-1 through 10-n may be the charge pump 10 described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6.

For example, when the input voltage VIN is about 0 V, a capacitance of each charge pump is C, a parasitic capacitance due to switching of each charge pump is Cp, an output current is Iload, and the frequency of a clock signal is f, an nth output voltage VOUT_n may be defined by Formula 1 below.

VOUT_n=−n(C/(C+Cp))Vsup+(n×Iload)/(f(C+Cp))  [Formula 1]

From Formula 1, the number n of charge pumps for obtaining the targeted output voltage VOUT_n may be defined by Formula 2 below.

n=(VOUT_n)/((−C/(C+Cp))Vsup+Iload/(f(C+Cp)))  [Formula 2]

Referring to Formula 2, when the capacitance C and the parasitic capacitance Cp are constant, the required number n of charge pumps may be reduced as the power supply voltage Vsup increases or the parasitic capacitance Cp decreases. Because only the voltage of the power supply voltage Vsup is applied to the transistors responsible for the switching, a charge pump according to some embodiments of the inventive concept may perform a charge pump operation at a high level of the power supply voltage Vsup while the reliability of a circuit thereof is maintained. Accordingly, because the targeted output voltage VOUT_n is obtained with a reduced number n of charge pumps, the integration degree may be improved.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of a memory device 500 incorporating a charge pump 10 c according to some embodiments of the inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 8, the memory device 500 may include a memory cell array 510, a control logic 520, a row decoder 530, a page buffer 540, and a voltage generator 550. Although not illustrated in FIG. 8, the memory device 500 may further include a data input/output circuit, an input/output interface, etc. In addition, although not illustrated in FIG. 8, the memory device 500 may further include various sub-circuits, such as an error correction circuit for correcting errors of data read from the memory cell array 510.

The memory cell array 510 may include a plurality of memory cells and may be connected to string selection lines SSL, word lines WL, ground selection lines GSL, and bit lines BL. The memory cell array 510 may be connected to the row decoder 530 via the string select lines SSL, the word lines WL, and the ground select lines GSL and may be connected to the page buffer 540 via the bit lines BL.

For example, the plurality of memory cells included in the memory cell array 510 may be nonvolatile memory cells that retain stored data even when supplied power is interrupted. For example, when the memory cell is a nonvolatile memory cell, the memory device 500 may be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (RAM) (EEPROM), a flash memory, phase change random access memory (RAM) (PRAM), resistive ROM (RRAM), a nano-floating gate memory (NFGM), polymer RAM (PoRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), or ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) in accordance with various embodiments of the inventive concept. Hereinafter, embodiments of the inventive concept will be described by taking as an example a case in which the plurality of memory cells are NAND flash memory cells, but it will be understood that embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto.

The memory cell array 510 may include a plurality of memory blocks BLK1 through BLKz, and each of the memory blocks BLK1 through BLKz may have a planar structure or a three-dimensional (3D) structure. The memory cell array 510 may include at least one of a single level cell block including single level cells (SLC), a multi-level cell block including multi-level cells (MLC), a triple level cell block including triple level cells (TLC), and a quad level cell block including quad level cells (QLC). For example, some of the plurality of memory blocks BLK1 through BLKz may be SLC memory blocks, while the other memory blocks may be MLC blocks, TLC blocks, or QLC blocks.

The control logic 520 may, based on a command CMD, an address ADDR, and a control signal CTRL, program data in the memory cell array 510, read data from the memory cell array 510, or output various control signals for erasing data stored in the memory cell array 510, for example, a voltage control signal CTRL_vol, a row address X-ADDR, and a column address Y-ADDR. For example, the control logic 520 may receive the command CMD, the address ADDR, and the control signal CTRL from a memory controller (not illustrated) outside the memory device 500. Thus, the control logic 520 may control all the various operations in the memory device 500.

The row decoder 530 may, in response to the row address X-ADDR, select one of the memory blocks BLK1 through BLKz, select one of the word lines WL of the selected memory block, and select one of the plurality of string selection lines SSL. In addition, the row decoder 530 may transmit a voltage for performing the memory operation to the word lines WL of the selected memory block. For example, when performing the erase operation, the row decoder 530 may transmit an erase voltage and a verify voltage to the selected word line WL, and a pass voltage to an unselected word line WL.

The page buffer 540 may transmit and/or receive data DT to and from the outside of the memory device 500. The page buffer 540 may select some of the bit lines BL in response to the column address Y-ADDR. The page buffer 540 may operate as a write driver or a sense amplifier.

The voltage generator 550 may generate various kinds of voltages for performing a program operation, a read operation, and an erase operation on the memory cell array 510 based on the voltage control signal CTRL_vol. The voltage generator 550 may generate a word line voltage V_WL, for example, a program voltage, a read voltage, a pass voltage, an erase verify voltage, or a program verify voltage. In addition, the voltage generator 550 may further generate a string selection line voltage V_SSL and a ground selection line voltage V_GSL based on the voltage control signal CTRL_vol.

In addition, the voltage generator 550 may further generate a bit line voltage V_BL based on the voltage control signal CTRL_vol. For example, the voltage generator 550 may generate a gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) voltage and an erase voltage as the bit line voltage V_BL.

The voltage generator 550 may further include the charge pump 10 c. The charge pump 10 c may perform the positive charge pump operation or the negative charge pump operation based on the voltage control signal CTRL_vol. According to the charge pump operation, the charge pump 10 c may generate the program voltage or the erase voltage.

In an example embodiment, the charge pump 10 c may be implemented by using the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 9. Accordingly, the charge pump 10 c may reduce the occurrence of the body effect even in the negative charge pump operation and may be realized with a small area. As a result, by using the charge pump 10 c according to some embodiments of the inventive concept, the degree of integration of the memory device 500 may be improved.

FIG. 9A illustrates a detailed circuit diagram of a charge pump 10 a according to some example embodiments of the inventive concept, and FIG. 9B illustrates a detailed circuit diagram of a region A in FIG. 9A. Among the configurations of FIGS. 9A and 9B, a description of the configurations described above is omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9A, the charge pump 10 a may further include a first charge recycle circuit CR1 a and a second charge recycle circuit CR2 a. For example, the first charge recycle circuit CR1 a may be connected to a first node N1 a and one end ND1 a of a first boosting capacitor C1 a. In addition, the second charge recycle circuit CR2 a may be connected to a second node N2 a and one end ND2 a of a second boosting capacitor C2 a. In an example embodiment, the first charge recycle circuit CR1 a may operate such that a first n-type transistor M1 a is smoothly turned on when the first clock signal CLK1 is activated. In addition, the second charge recycle circuit CR2 a may operate such a second n-type transistor M2 a is smoothly turned on when the second clock signal CLK2 is activated. A detailed description thereof is given below with reference to FIGS. 9B and 10.

Referring further to FIG. 9B, the first charge recycle circuit CR1 a may include a plurality of transistors MC1 a and MCC1 a and a capacitor CCR1. For example, the plurality of transistors MC1 a and MCC1 a and the capacitor CCR1 may share an absorbing node D1 a. One end of the transistor MC1 a may be connected to the first node N1 a, the other end thereof may be connected to the absorbing node D1 a, and a gate thereof may be connected to the one end ND1 a of the first boosting capacitor C1 a. In addition, one end of the transistor MCC1 a may be connected to the one end ND1 a of the first boosting capacitor C1 a, and the other end and a gate thereof may be connected to the absorbing node D1 a. In addition, the second clock signal CLK2 may be applied to one end of the capacitor CCR1, and the other end of the capacitor CCR1 may be connected to the absorbing node D1 a. It may be sufficiently understood that although only a detailed configuration of the first charge recycle circuit CR1 a is illustrated in FIG. 9B, the same/similar configuration is applicable to the second charge recycle circuit CR2 a.

FIG. 10 illustrates timing diagrams of respective voltages for describing operations of the first and second charge recycle circuits CR1 a and CR2 a in FIGS. 9A and 9B according to some embodiments of the inventive concept. Among the configurations illustrated in FIG. 10, duplicate descriptions of configurations given with reference to FIG. 6 are omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 9B and 10, in an interval in which the first clock signal CLK1 is activated (or rises) (or the second clock signal CLK2 is deactivated), a voltage of the absorbing node D1 a may fall to a certain level and then rise back to an original state. For example, as the first clock signal CLK1 rises, a voltage of the first node N1 a may also rise. Thus, a magnitude of a voltage between a gate and a source of the first n-type transistor M1 a may be reduced, and, accordingly, may interfere with the turn-on of the first n-type transistor M1 a. The charge pump 10 a according to some embodiments of the inventive concept may smoothly perform a turn-on operation of the first n-type transistor M1 a by including the charge recycle circuit CR1 a and absorbing via the absorbing node D1 a a pull-up of the first node N1 a in response to the rise of the first clock signal CLK1.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example in which memory devices using a charge pump 1232 according to some embodiments of the inventive concept are applied to a solid state drive (SSD) system.

Referring to FIG. 11, the SSD system 1000 may include a host 1100 and an SSD 1200. The SSD 1200 may exchange signals with the host 1100 via a signal connector and receive power via a power connector. The SSD 1200 may include an SSD controller 1210, an auxiliary power supply 1220, and memory devices 1230, 1240, and 1250. Here, the SSD 1200 may be implemented by using the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1 through 10. Each of the memory devices 1230, 1240, and 1250 may include a charge pump 1232. Thus, the stability of a charge pump operation may be improved, and the degree of integration of each of the memory devices 1230, 1240 and 1250 may be improved as described herein.

As described above, embodiments have been disclosed in the drawings and the specification. While the embodiments have been described herein with reference to specific terms, it should be understood that they have been used only for the purpose of describing the technical idea of the inventive concept and not for limiting the scope of the inventive concept as defined in the claims. Thus, those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the inventive concept should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims. 

1. A charge pump comprising: a charging unit comprising a first n-type transistor connected between an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage and a first node, a second n-type transistor connected between the input terminal and a second node, a first gate control element configured to control the first n-type transistor based on a first clock signal, and a second gate control element configured to control the second n-type transistor based on a second clock signal having a phase opposite to the first clock signal; a first pumping capacitor comprising one end connected to the first node and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal; a second pumping capacitor comprising one end connected to the second node and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal; and an output unit connected between the charging unit and an output terminal, the output unit configured to output a first voltage at the first node or a second voltage at the second node to the output terminal.
 2. The charge pump of claim 1, wherein the charging unit further comprises: a first boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to a gate of the first n-type transistor, the first boosting capacitor comprising an other end configured to receive the first clock signal; and a second boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to a gate of the second n-type transistor, the second boosting capacitor comprising an other end configured to receive the second clock signal.
 3. The charge pump of claim 2, wherein the first gate control element comprises a first control transistor comprising a gate and a drain connected to the one end of the first boosting capacitor, and a source connected to the first node.
 4. The charge pump of claim 3, wherein the first control transistor and the first n-type transistor have approximately identical width/length (W/L) ratios.
 5. The charge pump of claim 2, wherein the second gate control element comprises a second control transistor comprising a gate and a drain connected to the one end of the second boosting capacitor, and a source connected to the second node.
 6. The charge pump of claim 5, wherein the second control transistor and the second n-type transistor have approximately identical W/L ratios.
 7. The charge pump of claim 1, wherein a bulk of each of the first n-type transistor and the second n-type transistor is formed in a portion of a deep-n well formed on a p-type semiconductor substrate.
 8. The charge pump of claim 7, wherein a voltage greater than or equal to a voltage applied to the p-type semiconductor substrate is applied to the deep-n well responsive to operation of the charge pump.
 9. The charge pump of claim 1, wherein the charging unit further comprises: a first bulk control transistor comprising one end connected to the input terminal, an other end connected to a bulk of the first n-type transistor, and a gate connected to the first node; and a second bulk control transistor comprising one end connected to the first node, an other end connected to the bulk of the first n-type transistor, and a gate connected to the input terminal.
 10. The charge pump of claim 1, wherein the output unit further comprises: a third n-type transistor connected between the first node and the output terminal; a fourth n-type transistor connected between the second node and the output terminal; and a third gate control element configured to control gates of the third n-type transistor and the fourth n-type transistor based on the first clock signal and the second clock signal.
 11. The charge pump of claim 10, wherein the output unit further comprises: a third boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to the gate of the third n-type transistor and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal; and a fourth boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to the gate of the fourth n-type transistor and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal.
 12. The charge pump of claim 11, wherein the third gate control element comprises a third control transistor and a fourth control transistor which are cross-coupled between the gates of the third n-type transistor and the fourth n-type transistor and the output terminal.
 13. A charge pump comprising: a first pumping capacitor comprising one end connected to a first node and an other end configured to receive a first clock signal; a second pumping capacitor comprising one end connected to a second node and an other end configured to receive a second clock signal that is complementary with the first clock signal; a charging unit comprising a first n-type transistor configured to charge the first pumping capacitor with an input voltage based on the first clock signal, and a second n-type transistor configured to charge the second pumping capacitor with the input voltage based on the second clock signal; and an output unit connected to the charging unit via the first node and the second node, the output unit configured to alternately output node voltages of the first node and the second node to an output terminal in response to the first clock signal and the second clock signal.
 14. The charge pump of claim 13, wherein the charging unit further comprises: a first diode connected between a gate of the first n-type transistor and the first node; and a second diode connected between a gate of the second n-type transistor and the second node.
 15. The charge pump of claim 14, wherein the charging unit further comprises: a first boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to the first diode and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal; and a second boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to the second diode and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal.
 16. The charge pump of claim 13, wherein the charging unit further comprises: a third n-type transistor connected between the first node and the output terminal; a fourth n-type transistor connected to the second node and the output terminal; a third boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to a gate of the third n-type transistor and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal; and a fourth boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to a gate of the fourth n-type transistor and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal.
 17. The charge pump of claim 16, wherein the charging unit further comprises a gate control element pair configured to control the gates of the third n-type transistor and the fourth n-type transistor based on the first clock signal and the second clock signal.
 18. The charge pump of claim 16, wherein a voltage identical to a power voltage for driving the charge pump is applied to both ends of each of the first n-type transistor, the second n-type transistor, the third n-type transistor, and the fourth n-type transistor responsive to activation and deactivation of the first clock signal.
 19. A memory device comprising: a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells configured to store data; a control logic configured to output a control signal that controls a program operation of programming data in the memory cell array and a read operation of reading data from the memory cell array; and a voltage generator configured to generate operation voltages used for the program operation and the read operation in response to the control signal, wherein the voltage generator comprises: a charging unit comprising a first n-type transistor connected between an input terminal configured to receive an input voltage and a first node, a second n-type transistor connected between the input terminal and a second node, a first gate control element configured to control the first n-type transistor based on a first clock signal, and a second gate control element configured to control the second n-type transistor based on a second clock signal having a phase opposite to the first clock signal; a first pumping capacitor comprising one end connected to the first node and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal; a second pumping capacitor comprising one end connected to the second node and an other end configured to receive the second clock signal; and an output unit connected between the charging unit and an output terminal, the output unit configured to output a first voltage at the first node or a second voltage at the second node to the output terminal.
 20. The memory device of claim 19, wherein the charging unit further comprises a first boosting capacitor comprising one end connected to a gate of the first n-type transistor and an other end configured to receive the first clock signal, and the first gate control element comprises a first control transistor comprising a gate and a drain connected to one end of the first boosting capacitor and a source connected to the first node.
 21. (canceled)
 22. (canceled) 